What if some little place over in Africa wanted to join the USofA? Let us say Chad. Would all the inhabitants there suddenly become Americans instead of Africans?

yes, although lately, some people seem to think they need to be hyphenated Americans. either be American or not. there is no middle road.

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.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called the government. They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

I should clarify my above statement. The residents of those place and the 50 states are US citizens. You can be an american and be born in canada or brazil. Because there is a North America and South America. Mexico is Central America. Although most of the members of the countries don't go by the term american, they can. The reason for members of the 50 states and it's territories is that we refer to this as the United States of America. Brazil doesn't call itself Brazil of the America. Although it is part of South America.

The difference is America is a continent. Not a country. Most people don't split hairs like this and understand what you mean when you refer to living in America. Technically this aspect is not correct.

You can be many things in this country from an irish man living in Boston to a New Yorker retired in Florida. You can be from LA and you are not talking about Louisiana. You can be cajiun and speak a weird french dielect and live in southern Louisiana. You can be Nisei and not speak anything other than english. Almost every major city in this country has something like an area refered to by it is ethnic population. Little Italy, Little China, Little Havana, or something similar.

If the US were to bring another territory into the US such as Xanadu. The area would go through the same steps as any other territory. Once placed in territory status. the residents become citizens, just like for Puerto Rico. The territory has the right to choose to become a state or not. They are citizens already because it is a territory of the US.

Sincerely,Brendhan

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The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

if you want to split hairs, no they are not americans. They are US citizens. However the common term for US citizens is Americans. You can certainly call them Americans and hardly anyone would give you flack. However in the truest since of the word american, they are not.

It comes down to a use of common slang to geographical technicalities. Geographers will want to hit you with a cluebat. Your average joe, understands that american tends to refer to US citizens.

Sincerely,Brendhan

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The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

But Canadians do not claim to be Americans and neither do Mexicans. But they are right up here with us on the American Continent. And if we absorb other places not on the continent they would not be Americans even though we call it the United States of America.

So since the addition of Hawaii we really can't call ourselves the US of America. Perhaps it should be shortened to just United States. I'm an United Statesian.... How would that work? Perhaps it would at least confuse those that don't like Americans for a little while.

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:rainbowflower: Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. :rainbowflower:

But Canadians do not claim to be Americans and neither do Mexicans. But they are right up here with us on the American Continent. And if we absorb other places not on the continent they would not be Americans even though we call it the United States of America.

So since the addition of Hawaii we really can't call ourselves the US of America. Perhaps it should be shortened to just United States. I'm an United Statesian.... How would that work? Perhaps it would at least confuse those that don't like Americans for a little while.

No usually canadians and mexicans do not claim to be americans. We call ourselves anything we want, but in a way you are right we are more than just the american continent. Great Britian is the UK or United Kingdom but the sun sets on it now. You could always say you are from the US. I do that also. I don't think it will confuse them.

Sincerely,Brendhan

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The status is not quo. The world is a mess and I just need to rule it. Dr. Horrible

But Canadians do not claim to be Americans and neither do Mexicans. But they are right up here with us on the American Continent. And if we absorb other places not on the continent they would not be Americans even though we call it the United States of America.

South Americans dont like it when US citizens refer to themselves as "American." Which they consider thmeselves to be as well.

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"The more complex the Mind, the Greater the need for the simplicity of Play".

The term American is used to identify a citizen or resident of the United States of America. The last word in the title gives the name. So, in reality anyone who is a citizen of the USA is an American and anybody else isn't even if they were born in some part of North or South America. The interesting thing is that this is not true in other parts of the world. In Europe you have German, French, Italian, English, Swiss, etc., yet each is also a European. In the western hemisphere there are Canadians and Mexicans, and Panamaians, etc., and yet only those from the United States are Called Amercians.

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Life is a school. What have you learned? :brian: The greatest danger to our society is apathy, vote in every election!

Hawaii is part of the united states. so would a part of Africa be, if they decided to be a state. a state is a state. it does not have to be connected. then there are teritories......

we are not the only Americans if you want to call anyone who lives in the Americas, Americans. we are not the only untied states. there are the United States of Brazil. we are just the only Untied States of America. we are united by constitution, not geography.

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.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called the government. They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called the government. They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....

we all were something before we were americans. does not matter where we came from, or where we are now.

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.....The greatest changes occur in their country without their cooperation. They are not even aware of precisely what has taken place. They suspect it; they have heard of the event by chance. More than that, they are unconcerned with the fortunes of their village, the safety of their streets, the fate of their church and its vestry. They think that such things have nothing to do with them, that they belong to a powerful stranger called the government. They enjoy these goods as tenants, without a sense of ownership, and never give a thought to how they might be improved.....